Outcome vs. Output Focus for Software Teams Join Kent McDonald to explore the difference between efficiency and effectiveness and learn three simple, yet powerful, techniques that he has found can help teams be more effective. You’ll learn how to: Build a shared understanding of the problem you are trying to solve Establish clear guard rails for distributed decision making Measure progress based on outcome, not output Along the way he’ll share stories about how he has used these techniques and help you figure out when these techniques may work in your situation. You may be able to get faster and cheaper with efficiency, but in order to get better outcomes, you need to be effective.

1. 1‘Tis Better to be Effective than Efficient
‘Tis Better to be
Effective Than Efficient
Kent J. McDonald
@beyondreqs
www.kbp.media/go/effective/

2. 2‘Tis Better to be Effective than Efficient
Better.
Faster.
Cheaper.2

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IT has spent 30 years
teaching our business
partners how to be
bad customers.
We need to fix this.
- Jeffrey Davidson
3

4. 4‘Tis Better to be Effective than Efficient
There is nothing
quite so useless
as doing with
great efficiency
something that
should not be
done at all.
- Peter Drucker
4

5. 5‘Tis Better to be Effective than Efficient
How to be Effective
Build Shared Understanding
Provide Guardrails for Decision
Making
Measure based on Outcome, not
Output
5

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Build
Shared Understanding

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Problem Statement
THE PROBLEM
OF
AFFECTS THE IMPACT OF
WHICH IS
A SUCCESSFUL
SOLUTION
WOULD

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Provide Guardrails for
Decision Making

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Decision Filters
WILL THIS ENCOURAGE
PRACTITIONERS TO
ENGAGE WITH
ASSOCIATION?

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Measure based on
Outcome, not Output
10

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Goals & Objectives
Attribute Description Example
Name Unique name for objective New and renewed memberships/month
Units What to measure Individual Members
Method How to measure Sum of new memberships and renewed
memberships within the month
Target Success level you’re aiming
to achieve
300 members/month
Constraints Failure level you’re aiming
to avoid
200 members/month
Baseline Current performance level 250 members/month
Attributes for Objectives
Goal: Encourage practitioners to engage with association

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Parking Lot Diagram

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Parking Lot Diagram Key
Epic Name
User Stories
Done/In Epic
Planned
Release
Epic Status
Not Started
Work In Process
Done
At Risk
Note: Epic can be done even if all stories aren’t done if outcome is satisfied

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If you remember nothing else…
Provide guardrails
for decision making
14
Measure based on
outcome, not output
Build shared
understanding
14

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Photo Credits
Slide Photo
Build Shared Understanding https://unsplash.com/@providence
Guardrails for Distributed Decision
Making
https://unsplash.com/@leliejens
Measure based on Outcome, not Output https://unsplash.com/@camadams
If you remember nothing else https://unsplash.com/@dnmgns
Photo Credits https://unsplash.com/@chancema 15

16. 16‘Tis Better to be Effective than Efficient
Kent McDonald
kent@kbp.media
@beyondreqs
Materials:
www.kbp.media/go/effective/

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Todd Chipman
todd@synerzip.com
+1. 469.374.0500
1717

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• Accelerate the delivery of your product roadmap
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• Augment your team with optional on-site professionals
1818

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Synerzip Clients

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Connect with Synerzip
@Synerzip
linkedin.com/company/synerzip
facebook.com/Synerzip

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Next Webinar
How to be an Unofficial Agile
Transformation Catalyst
Wednesday, October 18, 10am PT | Noon CT | 1pm CT
Presented by
Damon Poole
Founder, Nexxle